Armillary sphere



(No Model.) I 2 Shets-Sheet 1.

H S- M'. GIBBS.

ARMI-LLARY SPHERE.

No.- 532,370. Patented Jam s, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER M. GIBBS, OF DANVI LLE, PEN NSYLVANIA.

ARMILLARY SPHERE. I

srncrrrce rrou forming part of Letters Patent no. 532,370, dated January 8, 1895.

Application filed July 17, 1894. Serial No. 517,311- (NO model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SYLVESTER M GIBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Montour and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Armillary Sphere, of which the following is a specification] Myinvention relates to an armillary sphere,

and particularly to an improvement upon the construction shown and described in a for mer patent granted to me December 26, 1893,

numbered 511,420, such improvement consisting in providing more simple and convenient means for showing the precession of the 'equinoxes; in providing an improved form of framework and support; and in providing an attachment for illustrating the orbit of the moon.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear 'in the following description, and the novel features thereof will'be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an armillary sphere embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a Vertical section of the same. Fig. 8 is a view of an attachment designed to illustrate that the orbit of the moon crosses and recrosses the orbitof the earth, that its motion is alternately accelerated and retarded, according to the relative positions of the band having thesigns of the zodiac.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the pivotal connections of the rings representing, various celestial circles.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The framework consists of a horizontal frame 1, preferably circular in form, which is attached to the upper ends of the curved sidebars 2, the lowerends of said side-bars being fitted in seats 3 formed in the facing or juxtaposed surfaces of the parallel disksewhich are held in their proper relative positions by means of the vertical bolt 5. Three of these side-bars are preferably employed, and between the planes thereof are formed, in the .inner or facing surfaces of the disks 4, the

equator, a ring 11 representing the ecliptic,

rings 12 and 13 representing the orbit of the moon, extended, and the prime vertical, and rings 14 and 15 representing the colures. Concentric with the pivot at one side of the frame is a graduated indicator 16 upon which are inscribed angles to assist the operator in adjusting the various rings, 850., to suit the location of the supposed or actual observer, all of which parts and adjustments. are fully described in my said former patent.

.One of the side-bars of the framework is slotted as shown at 17, and in this slot is fitted one end of a tubular bearing l8,having-a fixed collar 19 to bear against the inner surface of the side bar and a nut 20 threaded upon the outer extremity of the bearing to bear against theouter side of the bar. A

disk 21 t is attached to the outer projecting end of the bearing, to indicate the positions of the various solstices and equin-oxes. 1 Mounted in the above-described bearing is a spindle 22 which carries a central globe 23 representing the sun, and fixed to said spindie is a rotary frame 24, having a ring 25 i which is parallel with the orbit of the earth, and a series of radial arms 26 which support said ring. Attached to this rotary frame is a swinging arm 27, provided with a weight 28 to hold it in a pendent position, and rising in an inclined position from the lower extremity of said arm is a spindle 29 upon which is mounted a globe 30 representing the earth. Swiveled upon the upper portion of the arm 27 is an auxiliary arm 31 which carries a globe 32 representing the moon, and removably attached to the surface of the globe 30 by means of a pin 33 is a small disk 34 designed'to represent the sensible horizon of an imaginary observer.

Inferior planets are represented by the. globes 35 and36, having supporting arms 37 and 38 provided at their inner ends with sleeves 39 and 40 which embrace the spindle 22 and are secured in the desired positions by means of set-screws 4.1 and 42; and a superior planet is represented by the globe shown at 4.3,.which is supportedby the arm 44 secured to the tubular bearing 18.

The band 9 consists of an outer member 45 and an inner member 46, the outer member having its lateral edges bent inward to form grooves 47 in which the edges of the inner member fit slidably; the inner member being slotted as shown at 48 to receive the pivotscrews and being provided at diametrically opposite points with knobs or buttons 49 to facilitate the turning of the inner member within the outer. The object of this adjustment of the inner member of the band with relation to the outer member is to illustrate the celestial variation known as the precession of the equinoxes, but which more properly is the recession of the equinoxesor the advance of the constellations. The outer member of the band is provided with names of the twelve signs of the zodiac, each sign occupying thirty degrees, and the inner or movable member of the band is provided with a series of names representing the constellations. By moving the inner band within the outer the relative positions of the constellations and the various signs from the time of Hipparchus to the present day, or within the last two thousand years, may be illustrated.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a sinuous .ring 50, designed to illustrate, in connection with certain parts of the above described apparatus, the orbit of the moon. Said ring'is adapted to be placed within the band representing the zodiac and against the ring 12 which represents the extended orbit'of the moon, as shown in said Fig. 3, and although when in this position it is obvious that the rotary frame carrying the globes representing the earth and moon cannot be rotated through a complete circle sut'ficient motion can be given to illustrate this principle, namely; that the moon passes around the earth and crosses its orbit, that at certain times it moves faster and at other times slower than the earth, but that it always moves forward, and that its movements are controlled jointly by the earth and the sun. It is obvious that owing to the small scale upon which the apparatus is constructed, and the necessary disproportionate sizes of the globes representing the various celestial bodies with relation to their orbits, the exact relative movements of the moon and earth cannot be illustrated, and the precise diagram of the orbit of the moon cannot be given, for. it is well known that the orbit of the moon does not at any point present a convex side toward the sun; but at the same time it is evident that certain other relations between the three bodies named, that is the sun, moon, and earth, such as those above mentioned can be accurately illustrated, and made visually apparent to the student. While it is possible at times to show these features of the moons relations to the earth and sun without the sinuous ring, I have found it of value in connection with the other parts of the apparatus, as a means of simplifying the illustration.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, and means, mounted therein, for illustrating celestial phenomena, said means includinga rotary frame carrying a globe representing the earth, of a band representing the zodiac mounted in the frame and comprising inner and outer members, one of which is slidable upon the other, substantially as specified.

2.111 a device of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, and

means, mounted therein, for illustrating celestial phenomena, said means including a rotary frame carrying a globe representing the.earth, of a band mounted in the supporting frame and encircling the rotary frame, the same comprising an outer member bearing the signs of the zodiac and an inner member slidably mounted in the outer member and bearing the names of the constellations, and means for turning the inner member within the outer member, substantially as specified.

3. In an armillary sphere, the combination with a frame, aring representing the extended orbit of the moon, and a rotary frame carrying globes representing the earth and moon, of a sinuous ring, .adapted to be arranged approximately in the plane of said ring representing the extended orbit of the moon, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with acentral globe representing the sun, a ring representing the plane of the ecliptic, a globe representing the .earthand means for moving the same in a path parallel with the plane of the ecliptic,

. and a sinuous ring adapted to be arranged at an angle to the plane of the ring representing the ecliptic, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SYLVESTER M. GIBBS.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, HAROLD H. SIMMS. 

